Percy l



Patented Oct. ll, I898.

No. 6l2,380.

P. L; CLARK.

VALVE DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES.-

(Application filed Apr. 3, 1897-) (No Model.)

1 l A I I 1m: Nunms PETERS co Pnmoumou WASHINGTON. n. c.

N Tnn STATES PATENT FFICE.

PERCY L. CLARK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MORGAN & I WRIGHT,OF SAME PLACE.

VALVE DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,380, dated October1 1, 1898. Application filed Aprils, 1897- Serial No. 630,666. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCY L. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Valve Devices forPneumatic Tires,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a construction of pneumatic-tire-inflating valvedevice involving an inwardly-opening check-Valve which is kept properlyseated by means of a suitable spring against a valve seat arranged forbodily removal from the device, so as to permit the removal andreplacement of the check-valve or check-valve spring, or both, withoutnecessitating the detachment of the device from the tire.

Prominent objects of my invention are to provide such a removablevalve-seat for valve devices in a simple, inexpensive, and economicalmanner, to allow the separate inspection of either the check-valve orits valvespring after the valve-seat has been removed from the device,to arrange for the removal and replacement of the check-valve alonewithout necessitating a preliminary removal of either the check-valvespring or any parts of the device other than the valve-seat, to insureagainst loss of the check-valve spring, to reduce to a minimum thenumber of parts employed in the construction of the device, to preventleakage of air from the tire, and to provide certain novel featurestending to increase the efficiencyof such valve devices.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other useful ends my inventionconsists in matters hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view illustrating invertical section a valve device embodying my invention. similar verticalsection showing the upper cap or cover removed, and a removable sleeveprovided with the removable valve-seat, partly removed. Fig. 3 is aview, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the device with boththe cover and said removable sleeve removed.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of said removable sleeve. Fig. 5 is aperspective View of a packing-washer used in connection with saidremovable sleeve.

In the construction of valve device illus-' Fig. 2 is a trated, Arepresents a tubular cylindrical shell or casing having an opening 1 atits lower end for communication with the interior of the tire, and Brepresents a suitable interiorly-threaded cap or cover fitted upon theupper screw-threaded end of the casing A.

The casing A could be attached to the pneumatic tire in any suitablemanner; but as a preferred arrangement a flat rubber base C, suitablefor attachment to the interior of the tire, is formed about anoutwardly-projecting flange 2, with which the lower end of said casing Ais provided. I

The casingA incloses a suitable check-valve D, which is seated against aremovable valveseat 4, so as to prevent the escape of air outward fromthe tire, but which is capable of inward movement in its valve-chamber5, so as to permit the inflation of the tire. The check valve D isdesirably provided with a valve-stem 6, which extends upwardly throughthe contracted opening or passageway 7, formed in the valve-seat,whereby the check-valve can be forced away from its valve-seat, so as topermit the deflation of the tire by a downward pressure on thevalvestem. The casingA also incloses a coil-spring E, which is adaptedautomatically to insure the proper seating of the check-valve D and isapplied to the latter at a point below its valve-seat-that is to say, ata point between the valve-seat and the tire. By such arrangement thecheck-valve alone can be removed forinspection or can be removed andreplaced by a simple removal of the check-valve seatthat is to say,without the preliminary removal of either the check-valve spring or ofany part of the device other than the valveseat. By such arrangementalso the device is simplified by dispensing with the necessity ofemploying an abutment for the spring above the valve-seatas, forinstance, a nut or the like fitted upon the valve-stem-and also theliability of losing the spring as a result of the displacement or lossof such upper abutment is avoided.

. The check-valve spring E is desirably conalso be removed and eitherone alone can be inspected or replaced without the removal of otherparts. Said check-valve spring E has its upper end conveniently appliedto the lower conical face of the check-valve, while its lower end isseated upon an annular seat 8, conveniently formed at the lower end ofthe casing A.

The removable valve-seat 4 and chamber 5 are conveniently provided witha removable sleeve F, having the valve-seat 4 formed at its upper endand provided with the contracted opening 7, and also having a suitablebore below the valve-seat for the accommodation of the check-valve D andthe spring E.

The sleeveF could be arranged for insertion within and removal from thecasing A in any suitable manner; but as a preferred arrangement thecasing A is interiorly screwthreaded and the sleeve F is correspondinglythreaded exteriorly, whereby the latter can be screwed into and out ofthe former.

The lower end of the sleeve F is seated upon an annular packing-washer9, which latter is conveniently confined within an annularseating-chamber 10, formed in the casing A at the base of thescrew-threads, whereby when the sleeve F is screwed tightly down intothe casing A the packing-washer 9 expands radially against the outerwall of its seating-chamber, and thereby prevents the leakage of airupward between the screw threads of the sleeve and casing.

The sleeve F can be screwed into and out of the casing A by ascrew-driver or other like tool, for which purpose said sleeve could beprovided with a slot or the like. As a preferred arrangement, however, atool G, Fig. 2,

is employed for such purpose, said tool Gbeing constructed with a coupleof fingers 11, which are adapted for insertion within suitable apertures12, with which the upper end of the sleeve F is provided.

As a means of preventing the filling of the opening 1 at the lower endof the casing A with rubber during the formation of the rubber base C onthe end of said casing, I have shown said opening 1 interiorlyscrew-threaded and provided with a screw-threaded plug 18, Fig. 2, whichlatter can be temporarily inserted therein during such formation of thebase 0 and can be subsequently withdrawn before the device is put inuse.

\Vhat I claim is- A pneumatic-tire valve comprising an in teriorlythreaded tubular shell or casing adapted for attachment to the tire, andhaving the outer portion of said interiorlythreaded surface exposed forthe purpose of making connection with an air-pump; anexteriorly-threaded tubular shell F fitted removably and entirely withinthe said interiorly-threaded shell or casing, and having its outer endformed to provide a valve-seat 4 for an inwardly-opening valve, and itsinner end adapted to engage a packing-ring 9; said packing-ring beingseated or confined within an annular groove or recess 10 at the base ofthe said interiorlythreaded shell; and a spring arranged within saidexteriorlythreaded shell and adapted to close the said valve,substantially as described.

PERCY L. CLARK.

\Vitnesses:

A. F. DURAND, R. M. WAGNER.

